[NV Greens] Re: NV NORML

[charleslaws at att.net]

Thanks for the efforts Beth.

What has happened to the NORML, and related efforts which have been ongoing in NV? Can anyone summarize the NV history re: hemp and marijuana, and send it to the list?

I, for one, and geographically detached at that, would participate in development of ideas that GPNV would promote to encourage agricultural hemp and a revision of the drug perceptions.. industry, use, cultivation, wars, etc.  I think hemp could out produce, be more profitable, and use less water, than alfalfa.

morning rambles:

I have insulated my roof with a flax fiber product, only because my first choice, hemp fiber, was sold out for the season.  France and Germany have very active hemp farming and utilization industries. The applications of the fiber and oil, and seed cake are too many to list. The ease of cultivation, well known. Only hemp's competition with synthetic materials and government regulators too sympathetic to industrialists has prevented this renewable product from maintaining its long history of utility. Misinformation propagandists have perverted perceptions and created prejudice and fear. I'm of the opinion that the Green Party should be leading the movement toward sustainable agriculture and "free market" determination of crop producers' and consumers' choices. [And reduction in the power of money lust to promote/prevent choice.]

Drugs:
Out of sight irrationality!

Those who've dominated the field of snake oil and derivatives are the greatest profiteers, surpassing even the producers of military inanities. of course where would america be today if it weren't for all the radio and TV ads, drugstores, and inflation producing medical industry and facilities pushing pills and needles under government regulation and supports?

Moralistic rationalizations foster im-moralistic abuse and killings. Drug wars support the "illegal" [read beyond government control] trade and violence preferring tradesmen and warriors. Those who derive livelihoods and like participation in violent lives like drug wars.  Any moralist who takes a moment to consider all the consequences can not condone the violence and social disruptions the futile attempts to prevent distribution and use perpetually requires. An economist's ananlysis [if not constrained by prejudice] would also deem drug suppression and control by violence, "disorganized" by gangs or organized by governments, to be irrational and uneconomic.

My proposal: establish the market free of violence. For those insisting on "government control"  initiate government purchases of all the product that can be produced, directly from the farmers. This would eliminate [supposedly] the corruption of the middlemen, druglords and gang creation and dealers. Sell to industrialists and drugstore distributors, or simply convert to other energy forms.. burn the crop after purchase.. Have the drugs available at a price relative to costs for the farmers, buyers, distributors, and remove the increases due to "illegality".. and the illegal drug traders would have no incentive to kill each other or disrupt functioning of civil and social institutions. These are agricultural products. There is no reason that they should cost more than coffee or tea, or maybe even sugar.  Remove the incentive and thrill of illegal use, and the profits and violence of "conventional" distribution, and discover that the controlling interests are the competitors with d
eep pockets, generous lobbyists, and country club friends in government. Administrations, and their friends, profit more with illegalities than with Adam Smith's free market. [not saying that I advocate capitalist/consumption/growth basis for a sustainable economy.. just pointing out that money is dominating governance and leading to unsustainable behaviors.  identifying that civil structure and economic relationships in secure environments requires some kind of predator control indicates that we are in an unstable, insecure, phase presently as the predators are in control..   very hard to advocate non-violence and predator control when the predators maintain control of all significant forms of violence, and will use all tools available to suppress the prey..us.]

alternative:
Convene two grand juries.. One composed of citizens with no addictions to legal drugs, ethanol, nicotine, caffeine, acetaminophen, etc. and no experience or exposure to "illegal" drugs [if possible] and another composed of those with some experience of marijuana, other soft or hard "controlled" [uncontrolled a better term?] drugs. Ask them to get the information about all aspects of production, distribution, marketing and effects of both regulated industrialized drugs and those on the "controlled substances" lists from agricultural sources. And ask them to determine what it is that disrupts just and non-violent social behavior and a civil society. [my prophesy is that the purist jury would be converted to a more liberal view].

/charles laws